Floating tractor hitch



1,636,845 y 26? 1927' w. WlELAND FLOATING TRACTOR HITCH Filed Sept. 81925 Patented July 26, 1927.

; UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAI WIELAND, F BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHNKOHLER MORE, OF B AY oI'rY, MICHIGAN.

FLOATING TRACTOR HITCH.

Application filed September 8,

and to operate closer to the edges of the field.

further object is to design a floating hitch which aids in, and makesthe steering of the tractor far easier when a harrow or other implementis being drawn.

A still further ob'ect is to provide a hitch in which the draw ar pull.is shifted when the tractor is turned, permitting the impleplacethereon.

ment to go closer into the corners than is possible when the drawbarpull is fixed.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that chan es maybermade in the form, size, proportion and minor details of construction,without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof It the invention.

In the drawing Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of a tractorshowing my improved'hitch in Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of thehitch proper.

Fig. 3 is a sectional edge view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In order that the advantages secured by .use of my improved hitch may befully understood I shall give you a; short rsum of the diificultiesencountered in turnin a tractor, and the implement attached thereto), atthe ends of the field, and the area 01 ground that it is impossible totill with the usual attachment.

in conventional tractors the implement is pivotally er the like to afixed pivoting point on the "tractor proper. The ground being tilled isquite soft, and in turning, the front wheels of the tractor (when animplement is being drawn) skid or slide forward due to above described,therefore,

. ment of an implement.

connected by means of a draw bar 1925. serial No. 54,948.

the fact that the rear wheels only are driven and the pull of theimplement is constant, consequentl before the tractor responds to thesteerin mechanism, the front end of the tractor hits the fence. It isimpossible to back up with an implement attached as the implement mustbe detached and the tractor turned, thus consuming valuable which theoperator starts turn'in at a distance from the f ence or edge 0 thefield, to be certain that the above mentioned happening will not berepeated; therefore a large strip of land next to the fence is notworked or tilled. v M' improved floating hltch eliminates these 0jectionable features, as the implement does not turn immediately thetractor. wheels are turned, and the an 10 of draw bar pull is changedwhen t e tractor turns.

Referring now particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 indicates therear axle of aconventional tractor on which the usual ground engagingwheels are mounted, fenders 2 cover said wheels and braces 3 extend fromthe rear axle housing to the said fenders, and are secured in rivets 4in the usual manner.

/ The conventional draw bar hitch 5 is atached to the rear .axle and isprovided with a series of spaced apart openings 6 to which a clevis isattached for,hitching the implement thereto. a My improved floatinghitch is secured to this member 5 and comprises a fiat bar iron 7 curvedand rounded as shown, the end being provided with openings 8 forsecuring the hitch to the bolts 9. I A trolley 10 is adapted to engagethe memr 7 and comprises a sheave cage 11 having a pair of spaced apartgrooved sheaves 12 mounted therein, these sheaves being revolublyjournaled on the pins 13 in the usual manner, the end of the sheave cagebeing provided with an opening 14 for the attach- These sheaves engagethe innerand outer edges of this bar iron 7 and float thereon and whenthe direction of the travel of the tractor is changed, this shiftingvaries the angle of pull accordingly. Whenthe tractor is turned, sharplytime, to avoid position by means of hand side of the hitch, the angle ofpull on the tractor is thus shifted oh" center, this shifting togetherwith the angle eases the pull of the implement on the tractoreliminating skidding and allowing the tractor to he easily turned,further, the turning action of the, tractor is not immediatelycommunicated to the implement dueto the shifting of the sheave cage,this curved track also insures the sheave cage automatically rollinghack to central position when the tractor is straightened and travelingstraight ahead.

It a floating action is not desired, as when plowing, the trolley isshifted to one side, and the implement attached to one of the openings15 provided in the har member 7, these openings heing spaced the same asthose tip; memher fidwith which the tractor is on a. equi e c l 'ro n ithe foreg ing descri tion it Wlll l'm obvious that l have perfecte avery simple, inexpensive and substantial tractor hitch, easy to attachand efiective in operation.

What I claim is 1. A floating tractor hitch comprising a substantiallycircular one piece track the ends of which are adapted to he secured di-I mounted to float thereon.

2. A floating tractor hitch comprising a circular track, the ends'otwhich return and are adapted to be secured directly to a tractordraw-bar, a sheave cage and sheaves mounted in said cage, and engagingsaid track to float thereon.

I 8. Atloating tractor hitch comprisinga substantially circular track.the ends of which return and are securedto the tractor draw-bar, asheave cage, grooved sheaves mounted therein and adapted'to engage andfloat on said trackQand' spaced apart openings in the said track.

l. A floating tractor hitch adapted to he attached to a tractor andcomprising a suhstantially circular track having rounded ,rectly to atractor draw-bar and a trolley ends adapted to accommodate a sheave, a

sheave cage, grooved sheaves mounted thereon and engaging and floatingon said track and spaced apart openings in said track lln testimonywhereof ll afix my signature. WIL

rAM WIELA.

